'I feel like I've lost a part of myself,' says father of murdered Glace Bay man

Monica and Harvey Kelloway pay an emotional visit to the gravesite of their son the late Craig Kelloway, buried with his grandparents Thomas and Elizabeth Buckley at Forest Haven Memorial Gardens, Grand Lake Road. Craig died on May 4, 2013, from stab wounds, following an altercation in Calgary.TC Media - Cape Breton Post

GLACE BAY — Every day Harvey Kelloway waits for his son Craig to phone but deep down he knows it's not going to ever happen again.

On May 4, 2013, Craig Kelloway, 32, of Calgary, Alta., formerly of Glace Bay, died from stab wounds following an altercation in a neighbour's home.

"Life has been one emotional roller-coaster waiting for the phone to ring,” Kelloway said, his voice quivering with emotion.

"My son would call at least three times a day. We were a close-knit family, our lives have changed forever. I feel like I lost a part of myself."

Nicholas Rasberry, 31, of Calgary, has been charged with second-degree murder in conjunction with the death of Craig Kelloway. Rasberry will appear in court in Calgary on Friday where a date will be set for trial.

After receiving an emergency call on May 4, 2013, members of the Calgary Police Service discovered Kelloway's body at about 11:30 p.m, at the 100 block of Auburn Springs. Craig had only recently moved to Auburn Bay and had only met his new neighbour — now his accused killer — that evening.

Kelloway said he and his wife Monica haven't gone to Calgary for any of the court appearances because they don't want to see the man accused of murdering their son. He said the Calgary police and prosecutors do a wonderful job keeping their family informed every step of the way.

“We're still reeling with anger over the death of our son,” he said.

“We continue to battle a range of emotions and still have difficulty finding the strength to move on.”

Kelloway said he'll never forget opening his door a little over a year ago at 7 a.m. to see five police officers standing there. Kelloway, a police officer retired for 16 years, knew his life was about to change forever.

"I knew I had a problem — a big problem," he said.

Sgt. Barry Gordon of the Cape Breton Regional Police walked in first.

"I said, 'Barry, what happened to Craig? Did he get killed in a car accident?'" Kelloway recalled.

"Barry said, 'No, Harvey it’s worse.'

"That's when he told me my son was murdered by a stabbing."

Kelloway said his mind went blank.

"I couldn't really believe it happened."

He said the continuing court appearances make it difficult to find closure.

"Then you are reliving all the memories again, can't get peace of mind," he said.

“Some days it seems impossible to carry on through another day of knowing he will never come home again," he said.

"Craig's death has caused unbearable sadness, disbelief and rage because a great man and teacher was taken too soon."

Craig was a math and science teacher at David Thompson School in Calgary.

He said a big part of their strength today comes from Craig's one-year-old son, Blake Warcop.

He said Craig's former girlfriend Kim Warcop, of Alberta, formerly of Mabou, brought Blake to the house before the funeral. He said that was the first time he and Monica met their new grandson.

"The family came in and passed him right over to me.”

Kelloway said he cried.

"We lost Craig but this is my legacy."

He said Warcop is coming back to Cape Breton on July 16 for a month.

"Our whole family will be going down there and they'll be up here too."

Kelloway said Kim calls him on Skype every Sunday.

"She has never let us down. We couldn't ask for better support than she provides us. Our other son Sean, who has a daughter Avery, 2, just had another daughter in March, Claire. That gave us another boost."

He said the support from local police officers and many neighbours, including Barry and Marguerite Verbeski, has never wavered.

He said the family also appreciate friends of Craig’s in Alberta who are holding a floor hockey game to raise money for Blake’s education.

"This young fellow will have to go through life with no father. My son will never get a chance to watch him grow up. It's amazing what they're doing for Blake."

Warcop has also expressed gratitude.

“I am so grateful for the support and love the community has shown me and Blake,” Kim said.

“People from Calgary and back home in Nova Scotia are contributing to the event. This means so much to us.”

Floor Hockey for Blake

• In an effort to raise funds for a registered education savings plan for Blake Warcop, Paul D'Angelo spearheaded the idea for Floor Hockey for Blake to see if they could set a Guiness World Record for the longest floor hockey game ever played. The current record is 50 hours.

• D’Angelo along with 23 other hockey fanatics — including four Mabou natives — will attempt a new world record by playing 60 hours of consecutive floor hockey in Blake's name.

• The tournament will be held June 27 at 8 p.m. and continue until June 30 at 8 a.m.